Wood-Fired Bagels at Eltana

I’ve never been to Montreal, so I can’t tell you whether Eltana’s Montreal-style bagels are the real deal. But even if they’re not, these are great bagels.

Chewy, dense and with just a slight smoky flavor from their trip into the wood fire after being boiled in honeyed water, they’re made until about 2 p.m. every day, so you’re likely to luck into a warm bagel ($1 each) no matter when you show up. They’re plenty good plain, but don’t miss the delicious spreads: a vibrant pomegranate-eggplant version ($4.50), a spring-pea-hued fava bean with mint ($4.25), a sweet honey-almond cream cheese ($3.25) and a bold garlic cream ($3.75).

Salads follow suit: Gorgeous gold beets wear a sumac-spiced yogurt dressing; roasted cauliflower is tossed with tahini (all salads are $2.75 with bagel purchase). It’s all vegetarian, and so far (dinner items were to be added after press time), it’s all spot on.